Weed cutter and ballast shaper



March 12,1929. A. J. WILLIAM$ ETAL 1,705,434

WEED CUTTER AND BALLAST SHAPER Filed Nov. 16; 1927 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY March 1929. A. J. WILLIAMS ET AL.

WEED CUTTER AND BALLAST SHAPER 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed NOV. 16, 1927.

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5 m v A o wk ATTOR N EY March 12, 1929.

J. WILLIAMS ET AL WEED CUTTER AND BALLAST SHAPER S Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 16 1927 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 12, 192%.

entrain stares rarestcaries.

ANDREW J. WILLIAMS ANn HENRY BRUER, or HAVRE, AND JOHN SPENCE, or our BANK, ONTANA.

WEED CUTTER ,ANID BALLAST SHAPER.

Application filed November 16, 1927. .Serial No. 233,677.

This invention relates to a weed cutter and ballast shaper for tracks, the general object of the invention being to provide a plurality of blades which act to cut the weeds and shape the ballast, with means for adjusting the blades so that the blades will engage the surface part of the ballast and restore the same to its original formation and at the same time out any weeds growing from the ballast.

A further object of the invention is to provide a frame which is hingedly connected to one side of a motor or car, with power means for swinging the frame to an upright and inoperative position.-

A further object of the invention is to provide manually operated means for moving the blades vertically.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing our invention in detail, reference will be had to v the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which 1 Figure 1 is a plan view showing the device attached to a motor car.

Figure 2 is an end View.

Figure 3 is a side elevation.

Figure 4 is a section on line H of Fig ure 1.

Figure 5 is a section online 55 of F ig-' ure 1.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 1.

In these drawings, A indicates a yokeshaped frame which is hingedly connected with a car or motor B by having its bent extremities engaging the eye forming brackets 1 fastened to the side of the can, This frame is composed of the sidemember 2 and the end members 3, these end members having their bent ends telescoping into the member 2 and the parts being held in adjusted position by the bolts f so that the length of the frame may be adjusted to suit different types of cars. A wheel 5 supports the outer side of the frame when the same is in lowered position and the spindle of this wheelv has attached thereto a pair of upright rods 6 which pass through brackets 7 connected to the member 2 and a spring 8 is placed on each rod and bears against the hub of the spindle and the bracket.

Thus these springs act to absorb shocks between the wheel and the frame.

A cable 9 has one end attached to a part of the car and said cable passes over a pulley 10 connected with the member 2 between the bracket 7 and then the cable passes back to the car where it is wrapped around a pulley 11 and has its end connected to a shaft 12 mounted in the bearings 18 on one side of the car and this shaft is driven from the'power plant of the car through means of the cone wheels 14;. The shaft can be shifted longitudinally through means of the hand lever 15 so as to move the cones intoand out of engagement with each other. Thus bymoving the shaft to place the cones into engagement with each other, the shaft 12 willbe rotated so that the cable will be wound thereon and thus the frame will be lifted to a position where it will rest against the side of the car. When the frame is lowered, it will be yieldingly supported from the wheel by the springs 8. Slot-v ted uprights 16 are carried by the frame, one by the front member 3' and the other by the side member 2 and a transversely arranged bar 17 has its ends passing through the slots in these uprights so that the bar is vertically movable. A hand lever 18 isarranged at the front of the frame and is adapted to rock a crank shaft 19 which has its crank connected with the'bent part of the front end of the bar 17, as shown at 20. A hand lever 21 is ar ranged at the rear of the frame and is adapted to rock a shaft 22 carried by the frameand this shaft is connected by a ling 23 with a crank shaft 24 carriedby the member 2 and the crank of this shaft 24 is connected by a link 25 with the rear end of the bar 17 so that either end of the bar 17 can be raised or lowered by manipulating one or the other of the levers 18 and 21. V

A plurality of tubular members 26 have their front ends pivoted to the front member 3 of the frame and a shank 27 has its front end fitting in each tubular member, the shank being adjustably held in the tubular member the frame'is in lowered carrying bythe set screw 28. Thus the shanks can be adjusted longitudinally in the tubular members or they can be adjusted in a rotary manner in said members and then by tightening the set screws, the shanks will be held in adjusted position. The stem 29 of a blade 30 is pivoted to the rear end of each shank and a coil spring 31 holds each stem in vertical position, the spring being connected with the stem and with the shank in such a manner that if the blade strikes an obstruction, the stem can move rearwardly and stretch the spring so that the blade canpass over such obstruction without damage to the parts. After the blade passes the obstruction, the spring returns it to normal position. A rod 31 is pivoted to each blade carrying beam, the beam being composed of a shank and a member 26 and these rods pass through bushings 32 held in the bar 17 by the set screws 33 and a coil spring 2% is arranged on each rod between the beam and the bar 1'? so that these springs tend to press the beams downwardly. As shown in Figure 1, the bushings are spaced equal distances apart in the bar 17 which asses diagonally over the beams.

' From the foregoing it will be seen that when position and the blade carrying members properly adjusted, the blades will be caused to pass over the ballast, as shown in Figure 2, thus cutting weeds and the like growing out of the ballast and said blades will also shape the ballast as they pass over the same. The beveled portions of the blades are so arranged that the blades will be self-sharpening and the rear portions, engaging the ballast, will properly shape the same. By adjusting the various parts, the blades can be set to give the surface of the ballast any desired shape and after the blade beams are adjusted, the blades can be raised and lowered by manipulating the hand levers 19 and 21. WVhen the device is not in use, the frame can be raised by winding the cable on the power driven shaft.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of our invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that we may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is 1. A weed cutter and ballast shaper for railroads comprising a frame, means for hingedly connecting the same to a car, means actuated by the power device on the car for raising the frame to inoperative position, a plurality of blade carrying beams connected with the front end of the frame, spring means for forcing the beams downwardly and means for regulating the tension of the spring means.

2. A weed cutter and ballast shaper for railroads comprising of frame, means for hingedly connecting the same to a car, means actuated by the power device on the car for raising the frame to inoperative position, a plurality of blade carrying beams connected with the front end of the frame, spring means for forcing the beams downwardly, means for regulating the tension of the spring means and means for adjusting the length of the beams and the angle of the blades.

3. A weed cutter and ballast shaper for railroads comprising a frame, means for hingedly connecting the same to a car, means actuated by the power device on the car for raising the frame to inoperative position, a plurality of blade carrying beams connected with the front end of the frame, spring means for forcing the beams downwardly, means for regulating the tension of the spring means, such means comprising a bar engaging the spring means, slotted upright members on the frame, the slots ofwhich receive the ends of the bar and front and rear hand levers connected with the ends of the bar for raising and lowering the same in the slots.

4:. In combination with a car, a yokeshaped frame hingedly connected with one side of the car, means driven from the power device of the car for raising the frame, a ground engaging wheel at the outer side of the frame, a plurality of tubular members 'pivotally connected with the front end of the frame, shanks fitting in the tubular membersand movable longitudinally therein and also having rotary movement therein, means for hold the shanks in adjustedposition in the tubular members, a blade having, its stem connected withthe rear end of each shank, slotted uprights carried at the front and outer side of the frame, a diagonally arranged bar having its end engaging the slots in the uprights, rods pivoted to the blade carrying members and passing through holes in the bar, springs on the rods having their upper ends bearing against the bar for forcing the blade carrying members downwardly and front and rear hand levers connected with the ends of the bar for raising and lowering the same in the slotted uprights.

5. in combination with a car, a yokeshaped frame hingedly connected with one side of the car, means driven from the power device of the car for raising the frame, a ground engaging wheel at the outer side of the frame, a plurality of tubular members pivotally connected with the front end of the frame, shanks fitting in the tubular members and movable longitudinal therein and also having rotary movement therein, means for holding the shanks in adjusted position in the tubular members, a blade having its stem connected with the rear end of each shank, slotted uprights carried at the front and outer side of the frame, a diagonally arrangpd bar having its ends engaging the slots the same in the slotted uprights and means in t carrying members and passing through holes In testimony whereof we aflix our signain'the bar, springs on the rods having their tures.

5 upper ends bearing against the bar for forcing the blade carrying members downwardly, -ANDREW J. VILLIAMS. front and rear hand levers connected with, HENRY BRUER. the ends of the bar for raising and lowering JOHN SPENCE.

e uprights, rods pivoted to the blade for adjusting the length of the frame. 1 

